diff --git a/app/serializers/topic_view_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/topic_view_serializer.rb
index 821ae8329..a109ff34a 100644
--- a/app/serializers/topic_view_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/topic_view_serializer.rb
@@ -65,13 +65,13 @@ class TopicViewSerializer < ApplicationSerializer
       last_poster: BasicUserSerializer.new(object.topic.last_poster, scope: scope, root: false)
     }
 
-    if object.topic.allowed_users.present?
+    if object.topic.private_message?
       result[:allowed_users] = object.topic.allowed_users.map do |user|
         BasicUserSerializer.new(user, scope: scope, root: false)
       end
     end
 
-    if object.topic.allowed_groups.present?
+    if object.topic.private_message?
       result[:allowed_groups] = object.topic.allowed_groups.map do |ag|
         BasicGroupSerializer.new(ag, scope: scope, root: false)
       end